Joash began to reign in the seventh year of
Jehu, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother, who was named
Zibiah, was from Beer-sheba.

3

Joash did what was pleasing to the LORD as long
as he lived, because the priest Jehoiada guided him.

4

Still, the high places did not disappear; the
people continued to sacrifice and to burn incense there.

5

For the priests Joash made this rule: "All
the funds for sacred purposes that are brought to the temple of the LORD - the
census tax, personal redemption money, and whatever funds are freely brought to
the temple of the LORD -

6

the priests may take for themselves, each from his
own clients. However, they must make whatever repairs on the temple may prove
necessary."

7

Nevertheless, as late as the twenty-third year
of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not made needed repairs on the
temple.

8

Accordingly, King Joash summoned the priest
Jehoiada and the other priests. "Why do you not repair the temple?"
he asked them. "You must no longer take funds from your clients, but you
shall turn them over for the repairs."

9

So the priests agreed that they would neither
take funds from the people nor make the repairs on the temple.

10

The priest Jehoiada then took a chest, bored a
hole in its lid, and set it beside the stele, on the right as one entered the
temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entry would put into it all the
funds that were brought to the temple of the LORD.

11

When they noticed that there was a large amount
of silver in the chest, the royal scribe (and the priest) would come up, and
they would melt down all the funds that were in the temple of the LORD, and
weigh them.

12

The amount thus realized they turned over to
the master workmen in the temple of the LORD. They in turn would give it to the
carpenters and builders working in the temple of the LORD,

13

and to the lumbermen and stone cutters, and for
the purchase of the wood and hewn stone used in repairing the breaches, and for
any other expenses that were necessary to repair the temple.

14

None of the funds brought to the temple of the
LORD were used there to make silver cups, snuffers, basins, trumpets, or any
gold or silver article.

15

Instead, they were given to the workmen, and
with them they repaired the temple of the LORD.

16

Moreover, no reckoning was asked of the men who
were provided with the funds to give to the workmen, because they held
positions of trust.

17

The funds from guilt-offerings and from
sin-offerings, however, were not brought to the temple of the LORD; they
belonged to the priests.

18

Then King Hazael of Aram mounted a siege
against Gath. When he had taken it, Hazael decided to go on to attack
Jerusalem.

19

But King Jehoash of Judah took all the
dedicated offerings presented by his forebears, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and
Ahaziah, kings of Judah, as well as his own, and all the gold there was in the
treasuries of the temple and the palace, and sent them to King Hazael of Aram,
who then led his forces away from Jerusalem.

20

The rest of the acts of Joash, with all that he
did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

21

Certain of his officials entered into a plot
against him and killed him at Beth-millo.

22

Jozacar, son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of
Shomer, were the officials who killed him. He was buried in his forefathers'
City of David, and his son Amaziah succeeded him as king.